Composite post.



PATBNTED NOV. s, v1904.

J. J. LUCK.

COMPOSITE POST.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 9, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SERIETA.

N0 MODEL.

. www... f

J. J. LU'GK.

COMPOSITE POST.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1903.

NO MODEL.

PATENIED' NOV. 8, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 UNTTED STATES Patented November 8, 1904.

JOHN J. LUCK, or AURORA, ILLINOIS@ COMPOSITE POST.

sPEciFrcATIoN forming part ef Lettere Patent No. 774,441, dated November s, 1904.

Application filed November 9, 1903. Serial No. 180,390. (No model.)

T0 all who-m, it rml/y concer-7L:

Beit known that I, JOHN J. LUCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Composite Posts; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this speciiication.

This invention relates to improvements in composite posts of that class made of a body of material which is formed or molded while in aplastic state, such as cement or a mixture thereof with a suitable binding material, as asphaltum, and a rigid metallic core or frame which is embedded in said body and upon which the material constituting the body is formed while ina plastic state and which subsequently sets or becomes hardened.

The invention includes also an improved form of wire fastener employed with posts of this character.

A post made in accordance with my invention may be adapted for use as a fence-post,

gate-post, &c., and the body may be formed to give thereto an ornamental appearance, if desired.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a post made in accordance with my invention, shown as adapted for use as a fencepost. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse section talien on line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a wire-fastener which constitutes part of said post when used asa fencepost. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of a moditied form of post. Fig'. 7 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof, showing' the core or frame principally in elevation. Fig. 8 is a perspective View of a portion of the core or frame of the post shown in Fig. 6 removed from the other parts. Fig. 9 is a horizontal section of said post. Fig. l() is a perspective View of the wire-fastening device illustrated in Fig. 6 removed from the post.

As shown in the drawings, Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive. the post consists of an inner metallic core or framc A, which is preferably made of sheet metal of a suitable thickness and rigidity to give the required strength to the post, and a body of cement or like material B, in which the core or frame is embedded, and

Vwhich material is applied to the core when in a plastic state and formed to give proper shape to the post and thereafter allowed to set or harden. Any material may be used to form the body having the properties mentioned and which possesses the required durability and hardness when set or hardened. The frame or core A may be made of relatively light sheet metal, so that it may be readily formed into the proper cross-sectional shape to give strength thereto by simple sheet-metal-working machinery. Said frame or core Ais formed to provide at its side two relatively wide parallel parts or members c (t, which are generally parallel with the adjacent side faces of the post when the post is of rectangular cross-section, and said parts are joined by a suitably-shaped connecting part to give strength to the post to withstand stress from all directions. As herein shown, the parts l of said core, connecting the side members a, meet each other and the part t at acute angles, thus giving the core an WI- shaped cross-section. The outer parts a of the core are preferably disposed in planes transverse to the plane of the row of posts when the posts are set, so as to bring the greatest strength of the posts to bear against lateral wind-pressures.

'D designates a, wire-fastening device for fastening the wires C to the post when the latter are used for fence-posts and constituting a part of a wire fence, said device comprising what may be termed a f fasteningclip and consists of' a tailpiece D, made, preferably, of flaring or fish-tail shape vand which is embedded in the body B of the post, upper and lower lugs D2 D2, between which the wires C are confined, and retaining-pins CZ,

which are adapted to extend through verti- Y cally-alined openings d in said lugs to retain the wires in place. Preferably a iiange or face-plate D is provided at the bases of said lugs to give additional bearing of said device against the post and to thereby strengthen the same and also to give finish thereto. Said face-plate D3 is preferably embedded in the outer face of the post, so as to be flush therewith, as clearly seen in Figs. 3 and 4. As herein shown, each wire-fastening device is provided with a separate retaining-pin nl; but,

if desired, a single retaining-wire may he employed for each post and made of a length to extend through all of the lugs of the fastening devices. The tailpiece D of said retaining devices extends into the post between the central folded parts a of the core or frame A.

In the construction shown in Figs. 6 to l() I employ, in addition to a rigid core or frame A, a plurality of stiffening or stay wires E E, extending from top to bottom of the post and attached at their ends to upper and lower plates E E2, which are fixed to or connected with the upper and lower ends of the core. As herein shown, three stay-wires are employed, and the plates E E2 are made of triangular shape. The plate E2 is fitted in a horizontal position to the lower end of the core in any suitable manner, and the upper plate E is connected with the upper end of the core in a manner permitting it to be moved away from the core, and thereby place a tension or strain on said wires. The staywires E are preferably made from a single length of wire, being laced through suitable openings in the upper and lower plates E' E2 in the manner shown in Fig. 8, and the ends of said wire are provided with knots or enlargements e e to iix the same to the plates. The devices for connecting the upper plate to the core, so as to exert therethrough tension on the stay-wires E to strain them, are made as follows: F designates a block which l is affixed to the upper end of the core in any suitable manner, and F designates a screw which extends downwardly through a central opening in the upper plate Ef and has screwthreaded engagement therewith and bears at its lower end on the block F. Said block is preferably provided with a central recess or depression to receive the lower end of the screw. Such strain may be exerted on the wires by movably connecting the lower plate with the core or in any other suitable manner.

The wire-fastening device G (shown in Figs. 6 and l0) of the last-described construction consists of a vertically-disposed flat metal plate G, which is provided with a iiared tailpiece Gr', embedded in the body of the post, as shown more clearly in dotted lines in Fig. 6, and a head G2, which protrudes from the post and is provided with a horizontal aperture g to receive the wire C. Said head is provided with a slit gf, (shown more clearly in ably-constructed plier or otherwise.

fastener G is made from sheet metal by a Fig. 6,) which extends from the aperture g to the margin of the head. When the fastener is formed, the parts g2 of said head on each side of the slit g are turned laterally outwardly, as shown in Fig. 10, in a manner to enlarge the slit sufficient-ly to permit the wire C to pass laterally therethrough into said wire-receiving aperture. Thereafter said outwardly-turned parts of the fastener are turned inwardly to bring the margins thereof together and restrict the slit sufficiently to prevent the wire from becoming disengaged from the fastener. Said outturned parts of the fastener-head may be turned inwardly for the purpose specified by means of a suit- Said suitable swaging operation, and it may be cut from a metal plate, the aperture formed therein, and the parts g2 turned outwardly by a single operation of a swaging-machine.

In manufacturing the post shown in the last-described figures the lower plate Ef and the block F are first fixed to the core in any suitable manner. Thereafter the stay-wires E are laced through or otherwise attached to the upper and lower plates E E2, and the screw F is passed through the upper plate and turned down against the block F until the desired tension is exerted on the staywires. Thereafter the cement body B is applied to the frame or core thus made while in a plastic condition and allowed to harden thereon. An important advantage is obtained by the use of a sheet-metal core folded to constitute an Wl shape in cross-section in a composite post of rectangular form, for the reason that a core of this form correspondsl in its general external outline with the rectangular form of the post, and its parts are so disposed as to permit portions of the plastic material to project into the folds of the core, and thus secure strong adherence of said plastic material to said core. Moreover, in a core of NI shape the two parallel marginal parts are parallel with two side faces of the completed rectangular post, while the edges of said parallel marginal parts and the central angle of the folded part are in line with each other, with the result that uniform support is given to the surface portion of the plastic material at three sides of the post, while at the fourth side a deep groove is formed by the central fold, providing a centrally-arranged body of the plastic material, into which the wire-fastening devices may extend through a greater part of the thickness of the post, and thereby afford a strong and rigid connection of said wire-fastening devices with the post.

I claim as my invention- 1. A fence-post, comprising a molded body of rectangular form in cross-section and a sheet-metal core which is longitudinally folded and is of IW shape in cross-section, said core IOO IIO

being embedded in the molded body with the parallel marginal parts thereof parallel with opposite side faces of the rectangular body. 2. A fence-post, comprisingamolded body of rectangular form, a sheet-metal core which is longitudinally folded and is of M shape in cross-section, said core being embedded in the molded body with its parallel marginal portions parallel with opposite side faces of the rectangular molded body, and a plurality of wire-fasteners provided with tailpieces which are embedded in the body of the post and eX- tend into the groove formed between the central longitudinally-folded parts of the core.

3. A composite post, comprising a molded body of rectangular form in cross-section, a sheet-metal core which is longitudinally folded and is of Nl 'shape in cross-section, said core being embedded in the molded body with its parallel marginal parts parallel with opposite side faces of the rectangular molded body, horizontal plates embedded in the body at the upper and lower ends of the said metal core,

stay-wires surrounding the core and attached at their upper and lower ends to said plates.

and means acting 0n said core for exerting' endwise strain or tension on said wires.

4. A composite post comprising a frame consistlng of a metal core, stay-wires surrounding the core and attached at their upper and lower ends to plates at the upper and lower ends of the core, and a screw extending JOHN J. LUcK.

Vitnesses:

WILLIAM L. HALL, GEORGE R. WILKINs. 

